Anything But Boring

Time to move to Word Press!

2012-01-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

If you are a follower on my blog, then I need to ask you to move on over to my WordPress blog! This will be my last post on blogger!
So you ask me, how do I get there?

Click on this link, then click on "Blog". So far you will only see the same old text, but just wait! New text will be coming in the next couple weeks, and you don't want to miss it!!!

Here is the link: http://anythingbutboring.com/blog/

I will give it a few days for you all to check in and move on over, then you will see what is next for Anything But Boring!

Be sure to let me know if you like to new site as well as blog!

Thanks!
janice pope

Re-purpose a Wool Sweater into a Purse

2011-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

The Finished Purse

I found this beautiful sweater last summer and purchased it with the idea to make a bag for my BFF bee Christmas gift exchange this year. Fortunately this sweater was already felted and ready to start the process. I trimmed off the sleeves and ribbing at the top and bottom.

I wasn't sure exactly what to do next. Fortunately, members of my Critique Group Kathy and Margaret came to the rescue.
They had great ideas of how to
keep most of the original shape
as well as what kind of handles to use. I interfaced both the wool and the silk
lining with Pellon SF101 cotton interfacing. It seemed to have just the right amount of body for both items.
I think this would make a great knitting bag. (I don't knit!) Anyway, the party was yesterday and Karen Comstock of Quiltricks was the gift recipient! Karen is a knitter, so I hope she will enjoy this re-purposed sweater!

Felted Wool Sweater

Sweater Front Ready to be Stitched Down

Sweater Back After Adding Ribbing

Bottom seam before adding interfacing

Hand-Dyed Silk Lining With Interfacing

Cutting Lining to Match Bag Shape

Attaching Lining to Outer Bag

Forming Bottom of Bag

Attaching Lini

If you are interested in trying this project here are a few steps to follow. You can use the photos to the right to find the captions to match up the pictures.

1. Find a wool sweater you would like to use. If it is not felted, wash it in HOT water and dry it in the hottest dryer temperature possible. This will help to shrink and felt the wool so it can be cut without unraveling.

2. Trim off the sleeves, a portion of the turtle neck and most of the ribbing on the bottom of the sweater.

3. If the front neck is curved, use a round or curved handle that is close to the same shape as the neckline of the sweater. This one was purchased at Joann's.

4. Cut away the side seams. Sew the front and back together at the bottom seam. Iron on interfacing.

5. Fold down the front neckline and shoulder seam so that no raw edges are showing on the outside. Hand stitch to the interfacing.

6. For the back curve, I trimmed the neckline to a similar curve and then had to clip the curve to get it to fold over the handle. I machine stitched leftover neck ribbing to the stretched out edge and then hand stitched it to the lining just like the front was attached.

7. Cut out lining using the purse as the pattern, allowing an inch for turning down the raw edges in finishing for later. (See picture)

8. Sew the side seams of both the purse. Cut out 2-1/2 or 3 inch squares at the bottom. Bring these two cut edges together in a straight line to stitch them to form the bottom of both sides. Repeat for the lining.

The Finished Purse!

9. Insert the lining into the sweater and pin into place. Hand stitch lining to purse top.

New patterns

2011-11-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

Fall Market is now in the past and I realized I had not blogged at all about the new patterns released. Dottie Biery's pattern, Centennial Squares was released. I have made two of these quilts and they turned out very well. Mary Corcoran's new pattern, 9 O'Clock Sharp is the one I am currently making in queen size for my son's upcoming wedding. Stay tuned for a finished photo. The other two patterns were made using a charm pack, some in bug fabric, some in French fabric from French Connection in Pittsboro. French Table is a pattern for a table runner and place mats in two shapes. Prints Charming is a quilt pattern in two sizes (one charm pack, or two). You can see all these patterns on the website, Anything But Boring.

The weekend after market Sheri and I drove to Springfield, Tennessee to vend wholesale at Choice Fabrics. It was a fun trip and I look forward to visiting with them again.

New Products for Sewers and Quilters

2011-07-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

It is such fun to try new products on the market for sewing and quilting. I found a product worth talking about at Spring Market. It is a foam product with fabric on both sides that will substitute for batting or fusible fleece in any of my patterns. I have found it especially useful for the front and back of the Two Hour Tulip Purse, as well as the Traveler's Tote. If you have not seen this product, be sure to look for it. The brand is Soft and Stable by Annie.com. It is easy to sew in place rather than iron on and has the advantage of maintaining its shape after fusible fleece goes limp with lots of use. I made a purse in early June and have carried it continuously and it still looks brand new....and it is not even batik. I think it gives a very professional finish to the bag. I also tried one on the Kit 'n Kaboodle bag....and though it was a little big to be wrestling it to quilt it, it turned out looking spectacular. A competing product has also hit the market called Inn Control, which has a "plus" version that is iron on. I have not tried the iron on yet, but will as soon as I find it. Both products come by the 1/2 yard, yard, and 2 yard cuts, 58 inches wide prepackaged. It also comes by the roll, but I have not found anyone stocking it that way yet. Be sure to try this foam based product in your next purse or bag....I would love to hear what you think.

On the road to Spring Quilt Market 2011!

2011-05-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

Janice and Kim Jones

Wednesday May 4th, my designer friend Sandy Fitzpatrick Hissyfitz Designs and I flew to Denver and were driven by Mary Corcoran (see the bio on my website) to her home in Laramie, Wyoming. Tonight is our first event at the quilt store in town, Quilt Essentials. Owner Mary McDonald has been remodeling the shop since I was last here in September. It is beautiful! Tonight the three of us are having a Trunk Show and Tell at the store. Tomorrow we will be doing 30 minute demos in two parts of the stores. Monday Sandy will be teaching machine quilting and that evening I will be teaching the Two Hour Tulip Purse pattern.

We stopped a one quilt store on the way from Denver to Wyoming as we had heard they carried the Tulip Purse. It is in Windsor, and is called Quilters Stash. While there, we got to visiting with another customer and learned once again what a small world it is! The store customer, who now lives in Virginia, was from this area. She said her husband was from Burlington, NC. I shared that I, too, was from Burlington. What fun to continue the questions and to discover that her husband and I had gone 12 years of school together! Her name is Kim Jones, and her husband I remember so well from school, Keith Jones. Kim and I had our photo taken and I will always remember visiting with her that day.

Next week we move to Park City, Utah, a ski resort area 30-45 minutes outside Salt Lake City, Utah. I will add more blog posts as the week goes on!

New Pattern Revenue to go to Water.org

2011-03-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have finished reading the book by Rich Stearns, The Hole in our Gospel. It has been a long time since I have been moved to get off my backside and do something to change a little corner of the world. As a result of a Guideposts article, hearing Rich speak in person, adopting a little girl from Guana and reading this book, I have made the following decisions:
1. All proceeds (yes, proceeds, not profits) received by Anything But Boring for the new pattern Kit 'n Kaboodle, available at Spring Market in Salt Lake City, Utah in May 2011 will be donated to Water.org to help provide clean drinking water to communities who do not have it.
2. Even though I tithe my income from my business (that is 10%), I commit to additionally donate equal amounts that I spend on my annual pet care, which is a luxury item in this country. This is usually around $600.00 a year, including food, vet visits and flea treatments and heart worm pills.
3. I also commit to donate equal amounts that I spend on my hair cuts and color, as well as cosmetics and skin care. This should amount to about $600.00 a year, as these things are also luxuries.

It is very easy to sit in my deeply cushioned office chair, typing on my state of the art iMac in temperature regulated air listening to the birds sing outside and think, "What good can I do?" Instead I choose to do what I can, and pray for wisdom and guidance to be able to do more.

If you would like to "do" something too, here are some suggestions taken from the end of the aforementioned book:
1. Buy a world map. Use push pins to mark crisis and pray for those affected.
2. Tune into poverty. Podcasts are available at www.worldvisionreport.org.
3. Sponsor a child. Go to www.worldvision.org/thiog or do a search for "sponsor a child".
4. Form friendships. Many world cultures are just a neighborhood away in many cites now. Visit ethnic churches in your area to get to know people from other places.
5. Watch a movie. Films are a powerful and influential medium in our culture. Watch movies such as Blood Diamond to learn about child soldiers and the diamond trade; Hotel Rwanda to see courage in the face of genocide;, or Slumdog Millionaire to understand the plight of street children in India. Discussing the movies with others afterward enhances the experience. Go to www.theholeinourgospel.com for a list of other thought-provoking films.

Oh the threads!!!

2011-03-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning my sewing room today getting ready to leave town for a 5 day Color Class with Hollis Chatelain. My friend Mary C. is going to use my machine to quilt on a great new quilt which will be in my pattern line soon. As I was sweeping I noticed some thread hanging out of the bottom of my sewing chair's casters. I decided to pull them out. As they kept coming out I decided to turn the chair upside down and work on all 4 casters. Oh my!! What a mess! I am sure I have pulled threads out before, but never have I put it upside down to work on it. I am shocked at how much came out of the 4 wheel casters! I thought I would take a photo and share it with you, because I am sure you wouldn't believe it either!

The bad news is that some of the threads are still stuck in all 4 wheels and I took a photo of that too. I removed all I could using a pair of jeweler's tweezers.

All of my machines are mechanical and require oil to run safely and smoothly. I am diligent about keeping them in good repair. Not my chair though! You better believe I will be careful of the "stuff" that ends up on the floor, as the wheels pick it up like a vacuum!

Making a Fishing Rod Cover

2011-01-22T10:16:00.000-08:00

Making quilts often leaves me with long scraps of fabric and batting. My middle son (John age 30) asked me to make my oldest son (Gerald age 32) a fishing rod cover for the new pole John made for him. He showed me a purchased cover that was neither long enough or large enough to fit over the eyes of the rod. The purchased rod holder was black and was bound with black fabric. I had some beige fabric that looked a little like fish scales that was left from the back of a quilt. I never throw big scraps like that away. I measured the rod length (it comes in two pieces, so the longer of the two was 58 inches.) and the width. Since I had four pieces the size I needed, I chose to do what any quilter would.....make a quilted holder instead of a plain fabric one. This rod will be shipped to Seattle, WA, which is about 3000 miles cross country, so I figured a little extra padding would be a good thing.

I layered the long pieces and long scraps of batting and quilted them.

Next, I cut it into two long pieces and layered them so binding could be added. Lastly I added tie straps and fold over top, and a seam down the middle to separate the two pieces of the rod.

These photos are of the beautiful rod my son John made. If you have a fisherman/woman in your list of friends, they may want to see these photos. Yes, that is copperhead snake skin on the rod! Gerald was an avid snake lover and caught a copperhead one day before school. He was holding it when I opened the front door and almost had a heart attack!
John finished the bottom with a 1978 penny, the year Gerald was born. He has not seen it yet, but I know he will love all the detail and work John put into it.

Here is the rod cover finished with binding and
cording to tie it together.

Free Pattern

2010-12-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

Three friends and I organize drawing classes for Hollis Chatelein once a year. We have completed Drawing I and II, Portraiture, and next year is "The Color Class". One of our class supplies is a large 3 ring binder. Having spent the last 3 weeks quilting on a quilt for NCQSI 2011, I decided to sew something fun and quick. I found this free pattern from Moda Bakeshop called Funky Quilted Binder Cover by Maria at Passing Down Crazy. (Here is the link to the pattern: http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/04/funky-quilted-binder-cover.html)

The cover needed to be colorful, of course, and I was going to use left over batiks from making purses, cut into squares. When I dug into my scraps, I found something even better. I had little pieces of hand dyed fabric from Lorin Fields (Local Colour Hues localcolourhues@gmail.com). See Blog Post dated 2/3/2010 for the original project made with these lovely fabrics. I cut the already sewn together strips into 2-1/2 inch squares. When I still had little pieces left, I cut them into 1-1/2 inch units. Using an orphan block from a Carol Bryer Fallert class as the center front, I added the smaller pieces as a little border. With black as the large border around this, I then pieces and added the 2-1/2 inch squares as a checker board for the spine and back. It was quilted in simple straight lines. Left over yellow made the pockets for the binders front and back. I even had the binding from a left over project.
This was simple and pretty quick since I had so many of the parts already from other projects.

2010-10-13T02:30:00.001-07:00

My friend Sheri and I had a wonderful visit to England! The ladies we met at Sew and So's in Bungay were so much fun! Rob and Verona took such kind care of us for the afternoon! You can see the photos of the ladies listening intently as I demonstrated how to put together the Two-Hour Tulip Purse. Later we shopped around the cute town and had a snack with Rob and Verona before taking the train back to London.

Visit to Bungay, England

2010-10-13T02:19:00.000-07:00

My friend Sheri and I visited the Quilt Store "Sew & So's" in Bungay, England a couple weeks ago. I did a demonstration for the lovely group of ladies.

Foundation Paper Piecing demo

2010-09-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Demonstration of attaching a magnetic clasp

2010-08-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Leather Handles for the Tulip Purse

2010-07-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

When Sheri and I were in Oregon, (see previous post) we shopped at Greenbaum's Quilted Forest. I saw these great leather purse straps and brought one back to make owner Sylvia a store sample. I contacted Cindy at Cindy's Button Company from Idaho. The straps come in different sizes, colors and flower patterns. Check out her website at www.cindysbuttoncompany.com . I will have some of her products in my booth at Houston at Fall Market.

This is the Large size of the Two-Hour Tulip Purse Bouquet pattern, made using the "A" flap version. This strap part number is 1009-B002

Sister's Outdoor Quilt Show 2010

2010-07-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

One of the many fun things about being a designer in the quilt world is to be able to travel and view quilt shows and visit quilt stores. My friend Sheri and I were happy to go to Oregon for 7 days of cool weather, site seeing, and of course, shopping! Added into that fun was to "show and tell" quilt store owners about my patterns and do demos along the way.
My BFF Cary bee's round robin quilt was hung at the Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon. I was able to capture in photo the quilt being hung.
We visited Crater Lake and Cannon Beach as well. Please enjoy these photos of our trip!

Sewing with leather

2010-07-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

Almost since making my first tulip purse, I have wanted to make one in leather. I found a lovely red/maroon shinny finish scrap piece of leather, priced by the pound at the Carolina Fabric Outlet in Swannanoah, NC. It was a long skinny piece and I thought it might be large enough for a Small Long Stemmed Tulip Purse. Here is photo of the long piece folded so you see part of the front and part of the sweded back.

I researched what I would need to stitch into leather. I have a Juki TL98Q which is certainly strong enough and a 930 Bernina, which is also strong enough. I purchased the suggested leather needles from Bernina World of Sewing on Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh. I also purchased a teflon foot for the Bernina, as it was something I have been wanting. The other supplies were powder to dust on the machine so the leather would slide under the foot smoothly and binder clips to hold seams together before sewing. Both of these suggestions were excellent!

I chose to make the Long-Stemmed Tulip in the small version but had to make some allowances. One was to only be sewing two layers of leather at a time. To do that I had to make the back of the flap out of cloth, and cut out a smaller version of the flap and sew it to the lining of the flap to attach the snap. The other change was to make the handle base lining out of cotton as well. I had a maroon fabric in my stash that matched well. Here is a photo of the two materials.

The thread I choose first was a thick 12wt. 100% polyester. I was a gold color, similar to what is used in sewing the side seams of jean fabric. I couldn't get the tention in either machine to handle the thickness. Instead I chose a 40wt. King Tut quilting thread. It held well when it was backstitched.

It was suggested in the instructions I found to sew with a large stitch so as not to cut the leather, thereby dividing it into two pieces as you sew. (This is the same problem when sewing the clear plastic onto the name badge holder in the Traveler's Trio pattern, or the luggage tag in the Traveler's Tote pattern.) I lengthened the stitch to 3, then 5, then settled on 4. The Bernina has a dial that will lengthen the stitch by skipping every other stitch. The 3 setting on it with a skipped stitch looked just right. It is necessary to back stitch or to hand knot the threads when the sewing is finished with leather.

As recommended, I did practice with the needles and thread in both machines before deciding I was ready to try making the purse. Here are the pieces cut out, ready to sew!

In order not to sew more than 2 layers together of leather at at time, I had to modify the pieces as shown here. The back of the purse has a template pocket. For the part attached to the purse, I cut away the seam allowance and sewed it to a piece of the lining. The inside pockets I made of leather on the outside and lining for the inside of the pocket.

Here is the finished purse. It is not perfect, but if you use the galloping horse rule, I think I will enjoy it very much!

Spring Quilt Market, 2010

2010-06-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Spring Quilt Market, 2010, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On the right, see my friend Karen Comstock in her booth. She had a lovely booth, but was many isles away from mine.

My booth looked similar to Houston market with
the exception of 3 new patterns and samples of

them (two new quilt patterns and one new bag pattern.)

Brad went with me for the first time. I had tried to warn him it was a lot of work, and now he knows first hand! We enjoyed the trip there and back, though we were tired of sitting! Since he had to use vacation to go with me, he probably won't be back until he retires, but it was great to have such wonderful help! He was so proud when he made his first sale when I left the booth for a short time!

Kissing Nine Patch On Point

2010-05-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

This lovely quilt was made for a friend by Lynn H. of Raleigh. It is based on the antique quilt top Lynn and I saw at the Vintage Quilt Study Group meeting in February, 2009. The top is owned by Pat Y. of Raleigh and was purchased in rural central Indiana. Pat does not know who made the original top. This quilt is based on my new pattern, Kissing Nine Patch On Point.

You can see the pattern on my website.

Lynn used Dimples tone-on-tone colors from the focus fabric and cut squares from many different colors to come up with this block setting. She then used the quicker method strip piecing to assemble each color wave of blocks. When we were on our beach retreat she made the 3 pillow shams.

Additional photos show the piecing of the blocks as well as the lovely quilting by Angela Clark of Threadwaggle Longarm Quilting. (www.threadwaggle.com)

Quilting Retreat!

2010-04-17T05:16:00.000-07:00

This morning I leave for my third quilt retreat of the year! Yes, I do feel very lucky to have a job that allows me time to "play". My Good Intentions Bee has a day long retreat at North Raleigh Church of the Nazarene the first Wednesday of the year. (This was our third or fourth year.) At this retreat we all use the same pattern (a simple one!) and all make a quilt using our own style and fabrics. What is so amazing is how different they all are!!
My second retreat this year was with my BFF (Best Friends Forever) Bee. It is a weekend long retreat held at our regular meeting place, Karen Comstock's home. (She is a great designer.....see her great patterns at www.quiltricks.com)
This retreat is the Good Intentions Bee's annual week long trip to the beach in North Carolina. Our destination is Salvo, located on the Outer Banks.
This will be my first time to use my new portable sewing table, the SewEzi. I ordered it from the owner, Barbara on Monday and received it Fedx Ground yesterday at 5:30. If you don't have one of these tables, and you go on retreats, you will want to check them out. Her website is www.seweziusa.com. There are different acrylic inserts for the different machines you take to classes or retreats. I ordered one for my Bernina 930, one for my Juki TL98Q and one for my portable Janome Gem Gold.
I hope you will have some time to spend with friends, sewing, eating and laughing soon!

Two-Hour Tulip Easter Baskets!

2010-02-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

With Easter just around the corner, I received a phone call last week about a store that had put together the Two-Hour Tulip Purse Petite size with bunny rabbit ears to be used as an Easter Basket. I have not received a photo yet, but one is promised!
However, when I ran into Liat of Miles of Stitches (Hemlock, MI), one of my best customers for this pattern, she told me she would send me a photo of the 42 Easter Baskets they made in 2009. Well, she did send me the photo, or Julie did, and also gave me permission to post it on my blog. Here is it! If this does not inspire you to try this easy pattern, nothing will! Are they not cute?

New pattern/old pattern

2010-02-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about the new quilt pattern which will be available at Spring Market (or maybe a little before!) I have made 3 of them so far, and have much interest from friends who are currently pattern testing. I won't post a photo yet and keep you in suspense!

However, from a published pattern of mine, Circle in a Square, I was able to construct a wall hanging using the hand-dyed cotton fabrics by the lovely Lorin Fields, of Local Colour Hues. This pattern uses a set of 2-1/2 inch width strips of fabrics. Set in black, these colors just glow! I was able to get two quilts, each with 9 squares using the strips and the pattern. One is going to Lorin for her retail booth and one is going out in my trunk show, which leaves tomorrow. I have included a photo which was taken before binding. It now has a simple black binding that is not in the photo!

Puppet Costumes

2009-12-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

What if your skin was blue and you had no neck, skinny arms and a large flat head? And what if you needed clothing? Sometimes knowing how to make people clothes is not much help when it comes to outfitting a puppet!

My husband is a puppet master. He teaches kids and adults how to make a puppet come alive in a performance. This coming weekend, his puppets will be performing the nativity at our church. He needs 5 shepherd costumes, plus a Mary and a Joseph costume. I went through my stash today to find simple plain colored fabric for the shepherds and some stripes for the sashes.

Here is our little blue friend before we started.

I cut the sleeves out of an extra large t-shirt to make the "tunic" The fact that he has no neck and will have a coat over the tunic, we don't have to worry about straps. His fuzzy "skin" keeps the t-shirt in place.

Next a draped fabric and made a pattern for the coat. The coat has an opening with rounded edges in the front, and self sleeves.
To make the sash, I used about 4 inches of cross grain fabric folded in twice, pressed and folded in half. After placing them on him, I then stitched them in place.

The head dress is cut from the bottom of the t-shirt and rounded on all edges. The top sash was made the same way and sewn in place. Because they don't have round heads, the head dresses are difficult to stay in place, so tacking is necessary in the back also.

Well, he is all finished! Does he look like a shepherd to you? Only 4 more to go!

And here is the whole group, add dressed up and ready for their big performance!
The back left is Joseph and the front right is Mary. All the rest are shepherds.
Merry Christmas!

Fall Market, 2009

2009-12-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

With the help of friends, I was able to drive my booth to market in Houston in October, 2009. This was my first time to have a booth, though my product had been there the previous two markets. Mary C. was kind enough to ride out there with me and work in the booth the entire time. Sheri S. drove back with me. It was a real treat to visit with Sonja L. in Baton Rouge on the way there and for a weekend on the way back home. We were also able to visit several quilt stores along the way! Some were existing customers, and some became new customers! I have uploaded photos so you can see the booth. Yes, there is 18 inch long NEON green fringe at the top front of the booth! Hard to miss us!

Organizing!

2009-11-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

Is it time for spring cleaning? Wait! No, it is November! But it sure feels like spring around my house!

Next week I have a professional organizer coming over to help me "re-do" my master bedroom closet. It seems like I have had to rearrange every closet in the house to be able to declutter and get ready for the big day.

Since I am having my grown children in for Thanksgiving, I gave my work room a make over this week. (One of them will be on the floor with a blow up bed, and there was not enough floor!)

I have posted a photo to show you the new look. I know some of you won't even recognize it is my house, but it is!

I stayed with the black and white theme I used at market. I think it works well. The heavy duty shelving unit came from Lowe's. It is 74 inches high and 48 inches wide and the five shelves are adjustable every inch. The boxes are decorative banker boxes from Target.